The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-11-10

Carolina, ana fittSylVdhid anu E1dH-
fax, in Virginia. Now that area has
been extended by the addition Of the
extreme. Eastern counties of Nash,
Wayne and Lenoir of the middle
counties of Wake, Chatham, Clifford,
Stokes and Forsythe; OF the Wes-
tern counties Of Catawba, Castor,
Iredell and Mcdowell, and the trans
montane counties of Buncombe, Mad
ison, Haywood, Henderson, Yancy
and Pennsylvania.
VALUE OF THESE LANDS-CoST OF PRO-
DUCTIoN.
Granville and Rockingham may be
taken as fairly typical as to the char
acter ofthe product, value OF the lands,
cost of production, etc.
In Granville county the price of the
best lands is $40 per acre, yield 600
pounds. Inferior lands are worth S.
to 81, yield 500 of inferior tobacco.
The rental value is one-fourth of the
crop, or for the best lands S25 in
money per acre. Estimate cost OF a
crop of fine tobacco for one man, viz:
acres, wages by the day for field
hands, 50 cents and board, by the
year $50 with board, without, 500 to
S1so. Product I, 400 lbs, price s. cents
total s42o; cost Of making this, in
cludlng rent of land, fertilizers sI52.5o;
cost per 100 lbs s12.87H cts. Profit
per 100 lbs, s22.I2H cents-s265.5o.
In Rockingham county, price OF good
tobacco land $40 to S25 per acre
Weld of such lands with manure 500
pounds-inferior lands are worth S.
to 81 and yield with manure 500 lbs
inferior tobacco. The rental one
fourth of crop, wages by the day, men
40 cents, women IS with board. Estl-
mated cost of raising crop on two
acres in this county. Total cost sII2.
Product 1900 lbs. Price 22 cents,
total S264. Profit SI52.
CURING THE TOBACCO.
This is now done generally in barns
made Of logs, plastered with mud
from 16 to IS feet square, and by fiue
heat. Air curing was first practiceo
until the demand for fine leaf required
better results with more certainty
Charcoal curing was the first step for
ward. The honor of being the first tt
use charcoal in curing tobacco lie
between Capt. Abb. hsi Slade and MIR
VIM. Long. both men of marked
sagacity, energy and success in tobac
co planting. This was about the yea
1874, but this method was found ex
pensive, difficult to regulate, soilin|
the plant with dust and SCOT, and Offer
giving it bad favor. DIR. Davis g
Tuck, of Halifax county, Va, was tn
first to use fues in curing tobacco, AM
was granted a patent therefor in 1929
To DR.. Tuck also belongs the credit c
introducing the thermometer as
: guide IN the curing process. The pla
of the Tuck fue was large singl
furnace, the mouth of which opene
inside of the barn, and the furnae
terminating in chimney on the ou
side. The defective construction I
! this flue caused many of them to bur
and burn the barns, and consequent
they never came into general use. II
;, first fues were Of stone or brick, {
: were trenches covered with sheet iro
running through the barn.
Iron fues are now almost unive
sally adopted, as they are cheapest, ar
e the heat can be regulated with the u
:, most nicely; rapidly raised with d
:, wood and as rapidly lowered by dra'
% ing the fires, but requiring great ca
v and vigilance in their management.
r. The process Of curing tobacco
"a fire is the most difficult and delicate
4 the whole course. Experience alo,
- will make a curer of fine tobacco, al
. that only of one who possesses nj
:, Judgment, excellent powers Of observ
" ton and care. A trifling inattenti'
y. may, at a critical moment, reduce ba
n of the finest yellow tobacco to t
= lower grades. If the fire is allowed
,s die out or decline after the leafis cur
"A the sap remaining in the stalks or stel
.r will diffuse itself through the leaf a
N mar the color irrcdeemably in twenl
j four hours and, on the other har
- too much heat will cause sweatir
~ which will, unless checked by spec
~ ventilation, both injure the color a
"a impair the body and texture.
h order to prevent this it is necessary
e use a thermometer, hung level W
-, the tails OF the plants on the low
70. tier, and to guard the degree of h
N by constant care; to watch day a
;ls night, with frequent inspection of
for plants. TO Capt. T. B. Lyon and
he Dennis Tilley belongs the honor of
nd PRODUCING Ane curing in Granville,
cir lowed by John Moss, Hobgood, Kn'
(, Currin, Veasey and others.
he STAGES OF CURING.
ct, There are four stages in the cur
are process. 1st, yeliowing I'd, fixing
per color +; sd, curing the leaf, and 4th {
the stalk and stem. The chief az
in this process is heat, dry Gu,
IL heat, to expel the sap from the lea
yht stems and stalks of the plants,
n a catch the color, yeiloa0, next to natu
ur- color, green, and to fix it (,he yeI
la color indelibly. This is the scis